by Nance Sparks
Carol leaned down and kissed Aren with such passion that her body was responding again before she’d fully recovered. She worked her way back down Aren’s body, kissing her neck and then taking a nipple in her mouth. Aren buried her fingers in Carol’s hair when she flicked her nipple with the tip of her tongue before sucking it back into her mouth. She looked up in time to see Aren throw her head back into the pillow and let out a long moan. Carol worked her way down Aren’s body, kissing her stomach and her hips. She moved down and kissed Aren’s inner thigh and received another moan. Carol could no longer resist. She lowered herself just as Aren pushed up into her. Carol swirled her tongue around Aren’s clit and then sucked it into her mouth and stroked it with her tongue.
Aren’s fingers buried in her hair, holding Carol close. Her moans grew louder with each breath and faster with each flick of Carol’s tongue. Carol trailed her fingers up Aren’s leg, teasing her with her touch.
“Yes.” Aren lifted into her and rocked her hips.
Carol slipped two fingers inside and flicked Aren’s clit with her tongue. Aren rocked her hips faster, and Carol could feel her tightening, feel her legs begin to quiver. All of a sudden, Aren called out and reached for Carol while moving her hips in tiny circles. Her legs closing around Carol’s head, holding her in place. Carol flicked her tongue once more, holding it there and circling.
“Oh, Carol,” Aren called out and then pulled Carol up her body, wrapping her legs around Carol’s hips and holding her close. Carol laid her head on Aren’s chest, listening to her ragged breaths and pounding heart.
“I love you, Aren.”
“I will never get tired of hearing that.” Aren kissed Carol’s forehead. “I love you too.”
Chapter Forty-four
Aren caught herself singing along with the music drifting in from the kitchen. She looked at herself in the mirror and nodded her approval. Her white button-down shirt was crisply ironed and tucked neatly into black jeans and secured with a black belt. The dark gray wool vest matched her dress boots perfectly. Not half bad, if she did say so herself. She clicked the light off and made her way toward the kitchen.
Carol was dancing her way around the dining room table, adjusting each place setting until it was perfect. She looked absolutely stunning in her dark green corduroy dress. Her hair was tucked back behind her ears just like it had been that first night that she’d cooked dinner for Aren. The diamond earrings caught the light from the candles in the center of the table. The sight of her swaying to the music took Aren’s breath away.
She walked up behind Carol just as a slow song started to play. “Excuse me, beautiful, may I have this dance?”
Carol spun around, her eyes sparkling, and accepted Aren’s hand. She stepped in close and draped her arms over Aren’s shoulders. Aren inhaled deeply, enjoying the sweet floral scent that was Carol’s perfume of choice. She loved the way she’d catch a hint of the fragrance whenever she walked into the house. She dropped her hands low on Carol’s back, enjoying how her body felt as she swayed to the music.
“You look sexy as hell. How long do we have before everyone arrives?” Carol leaned forward a bit and tugged on Aren’s earlobe gently with her teeth.
Aren felt a shiver course throughout her body. “Not long enough, I’m afraid.”
The doorbell sounded just as Aren spun Carol away from her. She spun her back in close and kissed her passionately. “That will have to hold you over for a couple of hours.” Aren winked and then turned toward the front door.
“Tease!” Carol playfully pushed on Aren’s shoulder.
“Happy Thanksgiving!” Maggie and Deb said simultaneously.
“Happy Thanksgiving, come on inside. Let me take your coats.” Aren stepped back and opened the door wide.
“I know you said not to bring anything, but I also know you know better, so here’s an apple pie, a cherry pie, and some apple cider from the orchard. It’s the last of the season, and I can’t get enough of that stuff.” Maggie offered Aren the boxes before slipping out of her coat.
“I couldn’t stop her, sorry, Aren.” Deb laughed.
“That’s okay, it just means you two will have to stay all week in order to help us eat all of this food.” Carol stepped into the foyer with outreached arms. “Happy Thanksgiving, you two.” She hugged each of them.
The doorbell chimed again just as Aren was hanging up the coats.
“That will be Gail and Valerie from the library.” Carol made her way to the door.
More Thanksgiving greetings erupted in the foyer where Aren accepted coats and Carol accepted a couple more additions to the menu.
“Thank you both for inviting us. The holidays can be so lonely,” Valerie said.
“Come on inside, everything is ready. We’re happy you’re here.” Aren followed the group into the kitchen.
“Hi, Maggie, hi, Deb. Maggie, how’s the hardware store coming along?” Gail asked.
“It’s almost ready to reopen. The crew has been amazing. They expect I can open sometime next week.”
“That’s great news,” Aren said, looking up from her task of carving the ham.
“Hey, Carol, I didn’t see a sign across the street when we pulled in. Did you sell the house?” Deb picked an olive off the tray and popped it in her mouth.
“Yes, we did. It closed a couple of weeks ago. The new owners seem nice enough.” Carol pulled a casserole dish from the oven.
“She and Aren made a substantial donation to the library. Valerie’s been ordering like crazy. We’ll be able to fill the two new stacks with all of the books that are arriving,” Gail said.
“I supported the idea, but the donation was all Carol. She deserves the credit.” Aren enjoyed being part of the conversation. The game night they had hosted a few weeks earlier had much the same feel. Light, honest, and carefree conversations. Aren found herself looking forward to the get-togethers.
“New furniture and donations to the library, it’s like you’re rolling in the dough.” Maggie pulled up a stool and joined the conversation.
“We needed some furniture that was ours and Aren has done so much. It felt good to be able to contribute to our home. The same with the library, some of those books were falling apart. I loved being able to contribute to the community. I think Aunt Suzie and Uncle Frank would have approved.”
“I think it’s wonderful. Your home is so beautiful! Game night last week was a blast. You two are the best hostesses,” Valerie said.
“The table is set if you lovely ladies would migrate to the dining room.” Aren carried the platter of ham and turkey.
Aren watched the group settle at the table. It was the first holiday in years where she felt surrounded by love and friendship. So much had changed in the past six months and she was so grateful to Carol for turning her world upside down and making all of this possible. Somewhere, in those six months, she found peace, happiness, and an unbelievable love.
“I’d like to say something.” Aren stood up, holding her glass of cider in the air. “This year, it feels like Thanksgiving is special again. I have an amazing woman at my side who I love with all of my heart, and a table full of friends to share new experiences with. I treasure each of you, thank you all for being in our life. It means the world to me. Happy Thanksgiving.” She swallowed against the lump of sweet emotions that rose with the sentiment. She’d never dreamed life could be so beautiful.
“Thank you, for being in our lives. Happy Thanksgiving!” Maggie raised her glass.
“Happy Thanksgiving!” Everyone around the table raised their glass.
The rest of the night was full of love and laughter, and as she held Carol in the early hours of the morning, she knew life was finally exactly what it should be.
About the Author
A vivid imagination spurred Nance Sparks’s desire to write lesbian romance. People watching evolves into a storyline. Taking in the flailing arms of two strangers on the far side of the street creates two characters with pe
rsonalities full of dimension. Observe as another person walks by, spinning in a circle to take it all in, and there’s the plot twist. Life is full of stories waiting to be told. Nance enjoys bringing these stories to life.
Nance lives in south central Wisconsin with her spouse. Her passion for photography, homesteading, hiking, gardening, and most anything outdoors comes through in her stories. When the sun is out and the sky is blue, especially during the golden hour, Nance can be found on the Wisconsin River with a camera in hand, capturing shots of large birds in flight.
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